Revenge of the Undercover Nerd

Eighteen: All Over?!

Elodie POV

I awoke with a hard slap, tied to a chair the way Ethan was about an hour before. I could've definitely tried struggling, but it was hopeless. My hands were bound behind my back, and they'd thoroughly stripped me of any weapons I'd have used to escape.

Everything's over.

I looked up meekly, my neck screaming from the effort. "Why? Why do this?" I croaked.

My dad and Selene chuckled. "The ASS has the smartest people in the world. Why would we kidnap dumb, idiotic teens from a small village when the ASS has bounds of knowledge to their disposal? But the only way we could have access to the ASS is to get a member of the ASS themselves." Right on cue, Caleb stepped out into the light. I searched his face for any hint of remorse, any guilt...but found none.

"Why, Caleb? I trusted you... After everything we've been through," my voice was more hoarse than sandpaper and my throat ached from talking, but I needed to say it.

I saw his Adam's apple bob up before he replied. "You never paid attention to me. I tried! I tried shaping myself into your perfect boyfriend, but to no avail. That bastard Ethan came and swept you away without him even knowing it! He didn't give a shit about you and yet you fell in love with that slimy git!"

What?

My jaw slackened in disbelief. I probably looked like that confused black girl. I'd have to remind myself to make a meme of myself with "WHUT" on it...if I ever made it out in one piece.

"Wait, so you were in love with me?"

Caleb gulped again and nodded slowly, his eyes finally meeting mine. "Every day when you would talk about him, you would shred my heart to pieces. I couldn't stand it--I can't stand it," he looked down at his feet, eyebrows scrunching up. "And I can't bring myself to hate you, no matter how hard I try. I should hate you. I should want to beat your arse for inflicting such pain on me when I didn't deserve any of it... But I can't."

"Caleb--" I began, but stopped myself. What could I say?

Suddenly, his eyes hardened, and he dragged a chair out from out of the shadows. Ethan was sitting in it, bound with so much rope, he looked like a fucking mummy. His head lolled around from the swaying of his seat, and that's when if I figured he was unconscious. "But I can bring myself to hate him. He who stole your heart. He who bullied you to the point of near suicide, and yet..." He laughed bitterly. "Yet you still fell in love with him. And I was right here all this fucking time."

"I'm sorry, Caleb. I'm sorry I didn't notice your feelings, but why are you doing this?"

Suddenly, he punched Ethan across the face, and the dark-haired boy awoke with a gasp. "So that I could do that right in front of you without feeling guilty." The British boy kicked Ethan's chair over and placed his foot on Ethan's throat. "I can do whatever I want." He kicked his foot up, sending Ethan's head snapping upwards.

"Stop!" My voice came out in a dry whisper.

"Why? You'll just get your memory erased anyway." Caleb shrugged.

My eyes widened in horror. "Please, don't do this. He didn't do anything!"

Caleb sneered, grabbing a tuft of Ethan's black locks, greasy from perspiration. "I joined The Living Mystery so that I could finally get revenge. You don't have a say in any of this, Elodie. All you get to do is watch as I kill him, and everything will be all well and fine from then on."

After that, everything was just blood and gore from then on.

I screamed silent screams for them to stop as Caleb slowly choked Ethan while dragging a rusty dagger along the flesh of his thigh. He stomped on Ethan's stomach and carved patterns into his skin. They had him bound with heavy rope and had him gagged with a dusty rag they found on the ground. Every time I tried looking away, my father would threaten to räpe me first, then Kristie, who was only unconscious.